Lumber pile transferrer



Jan. 23, 1951 w. F. DREW LUMBER PILE TRANSFERRER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 29,.1949

Jan. 23, 1951 w. F. DREW LUMBER PILE TRANSFERRER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 TTORNEY Filed April 29, 1.949

Patented Jan. 23, 15951 UNITED STATES TENT YOFFICE.v

LUMBER .PILE TRANSFER'RER William F. Drew,.Mesa, Ariz. Application Aprl1129, 1949, SerialNo.190,'325

'the truck, land so that stacks of lumber :may be placed on the irame'fby the forks of the truck:

`second object #is to provide a lumber stack or pile transferor with means for forcing a stack of lumber longitudinally into -a storage bin, and for temporarily securing the transferer to the framework Ior other portions Iof the bin. While 4sfupmirting 'on'the lifting hooks of va 'hoisting truck,

V'so that force may be applied vto Athe stack sii-iiic'ient 'to 'push i-t'into the bin, sliding the bottom boards thereof over the Abottom or" the "bin Ior v other Y'lvmriber already in the bin;

A lthird object `is '-to provide 'a rectangular, horiaontally extending frame withtransverse rollersdriven 'by continuous ycifra-ins to roll ra stack Iof lumber 'resting tl'rereon from 'the 'end of said frame, and'push it adesired distance' therefrom, together with bin Trame engaging hooks yor grappling devices which may be attached "to portions of bins., shelves, or llurrber already in said bins, whereby said rramewillnot vbepushed away Afrom sai'dbins during the operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by imeans of the construction, devices, and component parts shown in theaccom-panying drawings, in which- Figure 'l is a plan View of the device;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure T3, ,a .longitudinal sectional elevation. thereof, taken substantially on line 3 3, Figure 1.; s.

:Figure 4, a side-elevational .section ,of Yalumber `grappling clamp drawn on `an enlarged scale.;

.Figure .5., a front elevation of this clamp;

.Figure 6, a slide elevation of ra portion Yof the, pusher frame, :showing .chain clasps in closed position; q

Figure 7 Vis .an end view of `.the :clasp with fthe. pusher frame and chain-,sectioned off y :Figure 8 -is Ya Vplan -view `of .a rear corner portion of the pusher frame showing a chain clasp inopen position; and l Figure 9 is a side 'elevation of yalbi-n fhook.

4..C1aims. ,(Cl. 214-8336,)

. 2 Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

The rectangular frame `72 is made :of metal parts. welded at the joints. I.and consists of two cleanl nelled parallel side. `members 4. and transverse these tubes 4constirate transverse Aintefined-late frame members. .Eloi-es il! ,are out in the Webs 18 of the side members A to. open the ends o these tubes through the sides erft-he frame.. .These tubes form ysockets which are sized :and spaced to receive the lifting hooks i l lindicated by :dotted lines, of a front end elevating truck, the elevati. ing tracks of which are indicated by dottedl'ines Transverse rollers le are journalled at each end in bearing blocks '.15 attached `to the upper. flanges of frame members 4. Inthe formshown,

there are rollers ,at .each .end of the framenand three positioned intermediate the ends. Each .of the rollers is composedv-of an louter .cylindrical shell Il, and axially positioned stub shafts I8 .at each` end. 'The shafts A.of the. end Vrollers are fextended beyond the outer faces ofthe end bear-l ing V.blocks and squared at 2D 'to receive 'a ratchet"4 wrench 21, At each end of each roller and be-v tween the inner .face of Ythe :hearing 'blocks and the ends of the oylinders sprockets '22 .arekeyed to shafts i8. These sprockets 'are all of the same size and receive endless chains 24 and 125;. upper pass yoi `each -of these chains runs above' and just Within the inner .edges .of fthe .upperl flanges of frame members The lower pass runs just within the webs Af3 `of these rframe .members and through holes "provided in .transverse mem-a bers 9. v

The hold down bolt holes in .the bearing blocks of the end rollers 'may be slotted to allow for permanent adjustment vof the tension of .chains 24 and '25. Normal-1y the chains vare adjusted to tral 4brai'zingrrlerriber 33, and a pusher wplate at the front. Barbsv35 are-attached tothe iront face of plate 34 to prevent plate 34 from displacement after it has engaged the end of a stack of lumber. The lower faces of the side members 3l are made to rest on top of chains E4 and 25.

On the under face and at the rear of the side members are dual link engaging hooks 35 which are shaped and spaced to hook downward into the spaces between the rollers of said chains and extend rearward slightly under the chain rollers. The front end of the pusher frame must be raised slightly as shown in Figure 3 when these hooks are rst engaged in the chain. The hooks 35 on the rear frame member 3i are shown in entering position. After the hooks are in place the frame 3D is laid dat on the chains and -the hooks are then secured in place by hinged chain clasps 38. These clasps swing on hinges 39 which are secured to the rear portions of the outer faces of frame members 3i, and swing from released po sitionas shown in Figure 8, to the enclosed or clasped 'position as shown in Figures 6 and 7, with their upper flanges i bearing on the top of members 3! and their bottom iianges 42 `bearing on the underside of the chains 24 and 25 respectively. An angularly outwardly extending tab d is provided at the outer end of the clasp to aid in releasing it.

-On each side of each end of frame 2 are devices for attaching the frame temporarily to portions of the bin or shelf into or onto which lumber is to be placed. At the right end of frame 2 hooks 4'5 attached to cables i6 are provided. At the left end of frame 2 cables 4'! are provided which are secured to eyes 45 of a lumber grappling clamp 48, shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Cables 46 and 47 are wound up on drums 52 rotatable by wrenches 5l applied to the square ends of shafts 53. These shafts are held against counterrotation by ratchet mechanism contained within drums 52.

The grappling clamp 48 consists of a frame 54' having a vertical front plate 55 and a right angularly outwardly extending horizontal plate Slot 5T is provided along angular frame structure 54 to receive protruding portions of rocking bar 58 which engages in a bearing channel 58 at the rear vof plate 55, while lugs 5I extend forward.V At the forward end of these lugs upright press plate 55 is attached by nuts.

Teeth 52 are positioned on the bottom face of bar 58 about midway ci its width and are adapted to extend through holes 53 in plate 55 and into lumber 54 on which this plate may be positioned.

When frame 54 is placed over the outer edges of a stack of lumber 54 the press plate 5i? is forced upward by reason of the contact of teeth 52 with the surface of the lumber. Press plate may then be'forced down by the weight of lumber 65, which is stacked thereon from frame 2. The teeth then bite into the top boards of stack Sli and secure the clamp in place. In Figure 5 the plate 55 to the right of the brake is in raised position, and to the left of the brake in lowered position with the teeth engaging the lumber. The tension or" cables 4l' keeps the clamp body 5d from being pushed into the bin and the teeth 52 hold the top boards of stack 54 from inward movement as the stack 55 is slid over them.

Where the stack in the bin is high the friction of forcing the stack 55 inward is great, underspikes i6 may be used. These are slidably operative in front plate 55 so as to extend upwardly and inwardly into boards of a stack of lumber, such as 54, Figures 4 and 5. The movement of this spike is controlled lby a ratchet cond trclled pinion l2 which meshes with rack teeth on the outer portion of the spike. Inward and upward movement of this spike binds the frame 54 onto the topmost boards of the stack.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the grappling clamp is attached to the left end of frame 2 by cables 4l. These cables are broken oif at the left end of the figure, but it is intended that they be extended on and connected to'eyes 49 of the grappling clamp 4'8. The clamp is, therefore, a part of the frame mechanism. When not in use the cables 4'? are drawn up and the clamp hung on any convenient part of the frame such as, for example, hooks l5, Figures l and 2.

In these same gures hooks 45 are shown in engagement with upright bin frame members l5. This means of securing frame 4 is preferred where stack 55 is to be forced into a bin having secured bottom boards.

Hooks 45 are each made as shown in Figure`9. The eye 'H' is for attaching cable 45. The shank 18 is bent to form a semi-circular curve, as shown, which terminates in a barb 'I9 of relatively small diameter. A pressure or stop disk vS5 at the base of the barb limits the penetration of the barb.

When manual operation of the end rollers is undesirable due to the Weight of the stack of number mounted on frame 2, the several rollers of the frame may be driven by oil motors 86 posi-` tioned adjacent each of the end rollers-and supported within the frame. One motor of this type is shown adjacent the left end roller, Figure l.

These motors are attached to the roller chains 24 and 25 by sprockets 8l. Most industrial hoisting trucks have oil lines `supplied with oil under pressure to operate the hoist-jack cylinders. Oil from these lines can therefore be used to operate these roller driving motors. It

is obvious that electrically operated motors maybe substituted, or power supplied mechanically from a power takeoff lfrom the motor driving means of the hoist.

In use the frame 2, which may be termed, a pile transferor frame, is place on the ground and lumber to be stacked in bins, or the like, placed on it lengthwise to form a stack. This .may be done by hand, piece by piece, if desired, or a ready prepared stack laid on the frame in-one operation. This is most conveniently done by the use of a commercial elevating truck, having forwardly extending lifting hooks. One form 4of such a truck is known to the trade Vas a Hyster. n this case the lifting hooks of such a truck, carrying a stack or bundle of lumber, are brought over the frame 2, with the lumber alined with the frame and the stack lowered onto vit. Since the hooks are beneath the stack, and are of appreciable thickness, they contact the chains 24 and 25'before the lumber comes in contact with rollers I4. The upper passes of the chains must therefore have resilience to sag sufficiently to accommodate these hooks. This resilience is afforded by the spring actuated tighteners 28'. After the stack is positioned on the rollers the truck hooks are withdrawn from beneath the stack and then lowered and inserted into tubes 5 and l. It is to be understood that these tubes are proportioned and spaced to receive the truck The frame 2 carrying the stack is then raised,

and transported to thebin where thevstack is to be stored. llnfdon'githiszthe frame-'is .spotted with the frame and stack in alinedgposition with .thersides `eef-the bin, and elevated to be level Wlithits bottom. If `the bin framesv affbrdsecuring means hooks -45 .are attached as shown in Figure l. 'Ehestack is lthen moved to the right into vv`the bin .byioperationlof ratchet wrenchll whichlis placed on 'squared end 26) of shaft I'B of the right end rollers so that the roller is turned clockwise. Chains 24 and 25 cause all the rollers to turn in unison and the stack starts into the bin. After it has moved about half the length of frame 2 there is not sufficient traction on the rollers to overcome the sliding friction of the stack on the bottom of the bin. Pusher frame 3U is then attached to the left end of the chains in the manner previously described, and as the right end rolleris further manipulated, pusher plate 34 is brought into engagement with the lower boards ofthe stack and barbs 35 enter the ends of the boards to hold it in position. Further turning of the end roller then forces the stack entirely from the frame and, as the right end of pusher frame leaves the end of frame 2, continues to push the stack into the bin until the desired positionis attained. Meanwhile cables 46 and hooks 45 keep the frame ,2, together with the truck hooks supporting it, from being shoved away from the bin. After the stack is positioned, pusher frame 30 is removed, and the empty frame 2 returned to has spotted the frame 2 so that delivery is made z from the left end. l Obviously the hooks or clamp may be attache to either end of the frame as desired. Also motor mechanism 80 may be employed instead of wrench While I have explained the preferred use of this stacker as applied to lumber, it is obvious that the device has many other uses. For example boxes, or irregularly shaped objects may be placed on pallets, and these pallets placed on the frame 2, and then shoved one by one, or `as a group into bins or onto storage shelves. 'Other uses, and many modifications of the parts shown may be suggested to those familiar with the art, and therefore, I wish to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

l. A lumber-pile transferor comprising, in combination, a frame including parallel longitudinal side members, transverse end members, and transverse intermediate members consisting of` rectangular tubes sized and arranged to form-` transverse sockets adapted to receive the lifting hooks of a hoisting truck; transverse rollers having end shafts journalled in bearing blocks on the upper portions of said frame side members including end rollers adjacent the ends of said frame and intermediately positioned rollers; sprockets positioned at the ends of said rollers; endless roller chains running over the sprockets at each end of said rollers, whereby all rollers rotate in unison; said chains having upper passes and lower passes; resiliently operative chain idlers bearing on each of said chains; means for turning said end rollers including ratchet wrenches applicable to the shafts of said end rollers; a pusher frame removably attached to the upper passes of said chains by link engaging hooks and chain claspsy at its rear end and having a barbed pusher plate at its forward end; and

, longitudinal displacement.

6 engaging hookssupported on cables running *.o'vier' ratchet drums attached 'to :each drame side inem-L ber adjacent its Lend-,whereby said frame may .he secured to stationary `hbjeets and .held against.

Z. ln :a lumber y.pile transferor having a rectangulal` frame, rollers operative transversely thereon, having `enol sprockets, roller chains runningfover- .said sprockets, and -a ,pusher frame operative on said chains, the combination therewith of mechanism for attaching said pusher frame to saidrchains, including hooks positioned on the bottom of said frame, alined with said chains, and spaced to engage between the rollers of said chains, said hooks having prongs extending rearward under said rollers, together with chain clasps hinged to the sides of said frame to swing towardand away therefrom and having U-shaped clasps with top plates adapted to engage over the top of said frame above said hooks, and bottom plates adapted to engage under said chain below said hooks. f

3. In a lumber pile transferor having a rectangular transferor frame, lumber supporting rollers transversely journalled and operative thereon, sprockets at each end of each roller, roller chains running over and under said sprockets whereby said rollers turn in unison, means for rotating said rollers, and a pusher frame remov- `ably attached to the portion of the chain runhaving barbs at their curved ends backed by i stop disks.

4. In a lumber pile transferor having a rectangular pile transferor frame, lumber supporting rollers transversely journalled and operative thereon, sprockets at each end of each roller, roller chains running over and under said sprockets whereby said rollers turn in unison, means for rotating said rollers, and a pusher frame removably attached to the portion of the chain running' above said sprockets at its end opposite to its direction of movement, the combination therewith of mechanism for attaching said transferor frame to a fixed object to which lumber is to be transferred including ratchet drums attached to each side of said frame near one end thereof having squared shafts adapted to receive ratchet wrenches, cables Wound on said drums and extendable beyond the end of said frame and a grappling clamp secured to their outer ends including an angular transversely extending body having a vertical front plate and a horizontal top plate adapted to t over the adjacent top edge of a stack of lumber on which a stack is to be slidably transferred from said frame, a rocking plate hingedly attached to the rear of said top plate having teeth on its under face adapted to engage the top members of said stack on which lumber is to be slidably transferred, and a transversely extending press plate attached to the front edge of said rocking bar and positioned to be contacted and pressed downward by lumber longitudinally from the end of said transfer or frame onto the stack of lumber on which said clamp is positioned, whereby said rocking bar teeth are forced into top members of said stack, together with angularly upward and inwardly extensible spikes attached to said frame front plate adapted to secure said frame onto said lumber stack.

WILLIAM F. DREW.

REFERENCES CITED Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hild Oct. 21, 1884 Streich Nov. 29, 1904 Ward Dec. 27, 1904 Dyer Aug. 2, 1921 Gibler Apr. 26, 1949 

